The Richard Montgomery softball team has been looking forward to the 2024 season for quite some time. Last spring, varsity softball was the only team to make it past the first round of playoffs. This year, they’re hoping to advance even further.

Last year softball ended with an above .500 record. This showed the great skill of the team as the division the team was in last year was very competitive. This year, however, the playoffs are a little different. “Even though we have a really hard division, we could advance a lot further because our regional opponents are different,” varsity softball Coach Kelly Nosoff said.

Both Coach Nosoff and the players hope to advance further in their division this year. “[I hope], obviously, to make it as far as we can in playoffs, [and] I think this year we’ll try and win our region,” senior Pearl Mitchell said.

Having only graduated two seniors last year, softball still retains most of its players. “We really have pretty much the same for kids. So I think that looking towards that long term goal and playoffs is an important thing to focus on,” Coach Nosoff said. 

Possible top players this year that could be leading the team during the season are senior Pearl Mitchell and junior Angelina Nguyen-Nhu. “Pearl is already committed to playing softball at the collegiate level at MIT, so she’s going to be a hopeful standout,” Coach Nosoff said. Nguyen-Nhu, who plays the position of shortstop, also received all-county nominations last year. “She really stood out not just in our program, but in other schools as well,” Coach Nosoff said.

To prepare for their season and reach their goals, softball has been holding workout sessions twice a week. This year, they’ve added the addition of going into the weight room. “We’ve been in the weight room, which we’ve never done before,” Coach Nosoff said. “So this year, hopefully we’re going to be a little bit stronger.”

While the team is focusing more on building their muscle and strength, they have also been working on their cardio and endurance. The team has been getting out onto the field to practice as well. “We’ve gone out to the field a few times, just to get reps in,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t want to wait this winter. So, I think we’re going to be good this spring.”

These workouts help the players stay in shape and strong before the season starts. “When the girls get in there, they’re really focused on [the workouts] and they seem like they know what they’re doing,” Coach Nosoff said.

All the preparation and workouts during the winter has also helped the athletes build stronger bonds. “It’s nice because for those people who are new to the program or are new to workouts, we have our older girls kind of mentoring them and like taking them under their wing,” Coach Nosoff said.

Training together is an opportunity for the players to get closer. “Sometimes we go to team bonding after and you know, it’s good to have somebody to work out with,” Mitchell said. “It helps you stay motivated, and I think it’s a good thing for all of us.”

Having a team that shares close bonds also helps to boost morale. “I feel like anytime we show up, we enjoy each other’s company and it doesn’t feel like an obligation to be here,” Coach Nosoff said. “The people are really amazing,” Mitchell said. “I’ve made a lot of good memories on this team.”

As the start of the spring season becomes closer and closer, the softball team is looking forward to the upcoming season. “I’m looking forward to the girls surprising me,” Coach Nosoff said. “And I hope that they, you know, show up every day wanting to out best themselves and just to surprise themselves, me and the program.

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